Zuma fiddles while SA flames

President Jacob Zuma appeared impervious to the political storm brewing around him as he offered South Africans top tips on how to tackle racism.

Following a turbulent week for the ANC and its national executive committee - which at the weekend reiterated its support for Zuma despite controversy over the alleged "state capture" by the Gupta family - the president addressed a 30000-strong crowd during his Human Rights Day address at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium yesterday.

He told ardent supporters that the damage caused by apartheid was deep.

"There is still a long way to go before we can say we have successfully reversed the impact of institutionalised racism in our country or to remove prejudice among those who subscribe to the notion of white supremacy," he told those in the packed stadium.

He outlined how South Africans "can unite to build a country that is free of racism and prejudice".

Zuma said six steps were required:

• Openly discuss white supremacy and how it manifests itself, because "when such views are held by people in positions of power, they undermine the nation's efforts to achieve an equal and nonracial society";
• Be vigilant and point out instances of racial discrimination in the provision of services, in both the private and public sectors;
• Private companies, religious institutions, NGOs and state institutions must run campaigns and awareness programmes on the manifestations of racism. This, he said, would help to "eliminate denial and claims of ignorance about how this scourge manifests itself";
• End the denial and the tendency to downplay accusations of racism and undertake defensive stances. This was "of critical importance";
• Be aware of the fact that some racists use art as a form of expression. Zuma said: "We should be alert to subtle and disguised racism perpetuated through the stereotyping of individuals or groups of people in the media, through cartoons and satire"; and
• Avoid the tendency to "ridicule those who seek to expose racism or racial discrimination".

Zuma said that, even with the proposed law, the prevention and combating of hate crime and hate speech bill, which is designed to make hate crimes and speech a statutory offence, "government cannot legislate against racist beliefs and prejudice".